Antony Beevor

Antony Beevor

Anyone else here have an opinion on Antony Beevor? I read Stalingrad and Berlin - Downfall 1945 and found them to be excellent. Lots of research and backstory to tie events together.

Re: Antony Beevor

Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 5:41 pm

by coldharvest

phasmoid wrote:Anyone else here have an opinion on Antony Beevor? I read Stalingrad and Berlin - Downfall 1945 and found them to be excellent. Lots of research and backstory to tie events together.

I've read Stalingrad as well and found it an outstanding book exactly for the depth and detail he provided.

Re: Antony Beevor

Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 5:59 pm

by Caliban

I can recommend his take on D Day too. As good or better than many similar works(And Ive read a fair few). I keep threatening to buy his books on the Spanish civil war, a subject on which I have very little knowledge and consider, going by the three above mentioned that I have read, his work is as likely to be a good source of understanding as any other works on the subject.

Re: Antony Beevor

Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 12:59 am

by Ozmike

His book on Crete was a good read too.

Re: Antony Beevor

Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 4:07 pm

by phasmoid

I also highly recommend "The Balkans" by Misha Glenny. Takes the story way back to the Ottoman era for deeper insights, and will give you lots of semantic tangents to explore here at the BFC.

Re: Antony Beevor

Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 3:56 am

by deselby

Caliban wrote:I can recommend his take on D Day too. As good or better than many similar works(And Ive read a fair few). I keep threatening to buy his books on the Spanish civil war, a subject on which I have very little knowledge and consider, going by the three above mentioned that I have read, his work is as likely to be a good source of understanding as any other works on the subject.

I read Stalingrad and The Fall of Berlin, great works. I recommend Hugh Thomas's book on the Spanish Civil War, it's a very interesting conflict, I'll have to read Beevor's book now that you brought it to my attention.

Re: Antony Beevor

Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 11:34 am

by Penta

Also Paul Preston's: The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution and RevengeThat and Beevor's came out at about the same time. The reviews I read in general said Preston's was better, as he's specialist on it, Beevor not. Hugh Thomas's is the classic these two were supposed to be replacing and bringing up to date with more recent research. I read Preston's, and it was excellent.

Re: Antony Beevor

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:16 pm

by Helmschmied

I've been a fan of Beevor ever since I read Stalingrad about ten years ago. One of my favorites is "A Writer at War: Vasily Grossman with the Red Army 1941-1945". Now, to be fair Antony Beevor didn't actually write the book, as it's mostly selections of Vasily Grossman's writings. Still a fantastic read though.

Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 7:51 pm

by el3so

Gifted the Berlin and D-Day book recently, got to read them myself.

D-Day book is pretty good but nothing special.

I was underwhelmed by the Battle for Berlin one, seemed very light on the military aspects, way too much focus IMO on supposed actions of a handful of French SS and esp rape of German women. Sure it sucks to be violated sexually but it probably beats being starved to death or getting shot in the gut.